This relates generally to graphics processing.
Graphics processors are used to develop images for display on computer displays. A graphics pipeline includes a plurality of stages that develop the finished depiction. An image is rendered using rasterization by sampling different functions and shading. A visibility function determines whether a sample point is inside a triangle. Shading determines what is the color at a certain sample point. Thus, the terms “visibility samples” or “shading samples” are used hereinafter.
In super-sampling anti-aliasing (SSAA), visibility samples are the same as the shading samples. In multi-sampling anti-aliasing (MSAA), there is a single shading sample per pixel and many visibility samples per pixel. Graphics processors generally support these two anti-aliasing solutions.